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The senior leader, involved in a prolonged tussle with the state leadership, has hinted that he may throw his hat in the ring in the upcoming state unit elections for the post of president
Senior leader and MLC Basanagouda Patil Yatnal could either contest against Vijayendra himself or back a Dalit leader from his faction. (X @BasanagoudaBJP)
A reshuffle of BJP office-bearers in Karnataka is on the cards, with the central leadership issuing express instructions to state president BY Vijayendra to rein in the growing factionalism within the party. However, trouble appears to be brewing beneath the surface.
Senior leader and MLC Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, defiant and in a prolonged tussle with the state leadership, has hinted to his supporters that he may throw his hat in the ring in the upcoming BJP state unit elections for the post of state president, which is presently occupied by Vijayendra. There has been an ongoing rivalry between two camps in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — one of rebels led by Yatnal and those loyal to Vijayendra.
Vijayendra was appointed in November 2023 when the president changed after Nalin Kumar Kateel, who had held the post since August 2019, announced his resignation, taking moral responsibility for his party’s defeat in the 2023 assembly election.
According to the BJP, an organisational rejig takes place every three years — from the ground level all the way to the top leadership in the state and Centre. It is this process that the Yatnal camp sees as an opportunity to flex their political muscle internally.
Sources in the Yatnal camp suggest that he could either contest against Vijayendra himself or back a Dalit leader from his faction, with names like Arvind Limbavali being suggested.
“Why not? There is nothing wrong with it. It is an election, and in our democratic right, anyone can stand as a candidate. At the end of the day, it is for the healthy functioning of the party,” said a source close to the Yatnal camp.
It remains to be seen whether the reshuffle will ease internal tensions, as the Yatnal camp continues to push for Vijayendra’s removal as state chief. Yatnal has the backing of some leaders, including former minister Aravind Limbavali, former Mysuru-Kodagu MP Prathap Simha, and former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi.
“Vijayendra enjoys the support of the top leadership. Even if people like Yatnal want to contest for the post of president, they are likely to face defeat. Most people in the party know this is about vindictive politics. What the party needs right now is stability in the state unit. Our ultimate aim is to regain the power and popularity we once enjoyed in the state and return with a full majority. Vijayendra will be re-elected, and there should not be any problem,” said a senior party functionary.
The state unit rejig was supposed to take place in 2024, but the Lok Sabha elections delayed it. Now, with district president elections already in progress, it is only a matter of time before the state unit office-bearer elections take place. Shivraj Singh Chouhan is in-charge of concluding the elections in Karnataka, and it is learnt that the process will likely happen after Makar Sankranti.
“The membership drive is usually conducted once in six years, and changes in party command — from booth-level to national leadership — happen every three years. Since it was postponed due to the general elections, our membership drive started in September and is still ongoing. Booth, mandal, zilla, district, and state elections will be conducted. But there will be no change in the leadership of the state unit. The central leadership is happy with the current functioning. There may be small issues, but in the larger interest of the party, all leaders will stand united,” said a senior BJP leader from coastal Karnataka.
Vijayendra has already begun the reshuffle process, reaching out to probables and urging all camps to cooperate.
Frustrated with the ongoing fight between the two factions, several leaders who do not align with either camp have decided to approach the BJP’s central leadership in Delhi, urging them to intervene and bring order. They believe that without intervention from the top brass, the situation will only worsen and cause further damage to the party in Karnataka.
The constant attacks and counter-attacks between the rival camps, whether open or behind the scenes, have impacted the BJP’s ability to function as an effective opposition. As a result, the party has struggled to hold the Congress government accountable on key issues such as corruption allegations, ministerial scams, maladministration, and infighting within the ruling party.
“If the BJP hasn’t been able to capitalise on the Congress government’s weaknesses, it’s because of our internal issues. The blame squarely lies on the infighting, and the focus is getting deflected,” a senior BJP leader remarked, pointing to growing frustration among party workers.
Another senior leader, who is close to the central leadership, stated that the party high command is unlikely to change Vijayendra as state president. Not only was he appointed by them in November 2023, but replacing him would also send a negative signal about the party’s stability and integrity.
“Vijayendra’s style of working is appreciated by the central leadership. They have asked him to focus on building the party to bring us back to power. He has been working tirelessly towards that goal, and his efforts have been recognised,” said another senior BJP functionary.
The leader further added that the high command is unlikely to remove Vijayendra as it would reflect poorly on their decision-making.
Another suggestion made to the state unit is to accommodate Yatnal and his supporters in the new organisational setup, with posts such as general secretaries and vice-presidents.
When Vijayendra took over as state president almost a year ago, he formed his own team, sidelining members from rival factions. This did not sit well with senior leaders, who voiced their displeasure in closed-door meetings. They also made statements criticising the party’s decisions on various issues, including the Congress government’s alleged mis-governance and the selection of candidates for by-elections.
On a question as to why the BJP central leadership has not reined in leaders like Yatnal, who often criticise the state BJP, a party source said: “It is a matter of checks and balances. Somebody needs to be there to keep the balance. A good organisation is run by a good mix of checks and balances. A positive and a negative will yield a balanced result,” said the leader.
Political analyst Sandeep Shastri said that much depends on how the central leadership looks at the issue.
“There are clearly factions within the state unit. Would the central leadership give a clear message that they are backing one group, and that everybody needs to fall in line? And even if someone wants to contest, it should be a token contest. Or will the central leadership take a stand that they’ll see this election as a test of strength?” he observed.
Shastri adds that the BJP central leadership would prefer to decide beforehand whom they are backing, and then ask the other side to fall in line. At present, the central leadership seems to be happy with the current arrangement, and any changes that are made would be a loss of face for them.
On the Yatnal faction, Shastri said that knowing the central BJP brass, they would want to keep the rebel group in check.
“They would also allow the rebel group to make some noise so that the BSY, BV group should know there’s somebody to hold them accountable. If Yatnal now goes to contest for the president’s post, it will be like Shashi Tharoor did in the Congress.”
Explaining the parallel, Shastri said Tharoor knew that Mallikarjun Kharge was being backed by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for the top post, yet he contested.
“In that process, he became the martyr and got some benefits in the end. Maybe Yatnal is seeking something similar, maybe he is trying a Tharoor,” added the analyst.
